My touring partner took her first ride on her new bike. Screen Shot 2014-01-14 at 6.31.24 PM.jpg esterday we rode the Minuteman for soup at the Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington. Balmy weather and very pleasant.

Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving. ~Albert Einstein

Silly question, I think I know the answer, but wanted to see what other more knowledgable folks would say. I live in Malden and wanted to see if there was a way to seamlessly ride from here to the Minuteman path with minimal to no on-street riding. I normally ride the Northern Strand trail, so I know I can take that down and with some effort get over to the Wellington path, and I believe across to the Mystic River path, but didn't know if the Mystic River path in Medford connects directly to the Minuteman path. The Alewife Brook Greenway, according to what I read, seems to do that, but it seems that the Mystic pathway is somewhat segmented.

Anyhow, just wanted to see what others have experienced, since I haven't gone out and tried it yet myself.

Silly question, I think I know the answer, but wanted to see what other more knowledgable folks would say. I live in Malden and wanted to see if there was a way to seamlessly ride from here to the Minuteman path with minimal to no on-street riding. I normally ride the Northern Strand trail, so I know I can take that down and with some effort get over to the Wellington path, and I believe across to the Mystic River path, but didn't know if the Mystic River path in Medford connects directly to the Minuteman path. The Alewife Brook Greenway, according to what I read, seems to do that, but it seems that the Mystic pathway is somewhat segmented.

Anyhow, just wanted to see what others have experienced, since I haven't gone out and tried it yet myself.

I may be wrong, but believe you'll have to do a little on-street riding between trails. Question: how do you connect the Northern Strand Community Path with the Wellington?

The time I rode as far as Wellington (starting from Arlington), it wasn't clear to me how to connect to the Rivers Edge Dr. There was a spaghetti bowl of auto ramps between Wellington and Rivers Edge Dr.

The time I rode as far as Wellington (starting from Arlington), it wasn't clear to me how to connect to the Rivers Edge Dr. There was a spaghetti bowl of auto ramps between Wellington and Rivers Edge Dr.

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How long ago was that? I think the Wellington Greenway has only actually connected Station Landing to the Wellington Station parking lot for about a year or so. Basically, the path has its entrance in the corner of the T station's parking lot, and you just exit the parking lot by way of the exit that passes under Rt. 16.

How long ago was that? I think the Wellington Greenway has only actually connected Station Landing to the Wellington Station parking lot for about a year or so. Basically, the path has its entrance in the corner of the T station's parking lot, and you just exit the parking lot by way of the exit that passes under Rt. 16.

This past September. I may have simply missed it. Come Spring (or the next thaw), I'll go back and take another look...

- Just curious if the 'private road' signs are enforced in Weston? I had planned on riding around and exploring but ended up confused and trying to pick my way around the nest of private ways.

- Are there any dirt trail condition threads...any place? I checked NEMBA and did not see any current trail listings for MA. The ground doesn't really appear to freeze around here so I am concerned around riding and damaging trail. However, my feeling is that things aren't as strict here because the soil is different than the midwest (we were super strict about keeping trails closed during rainy weather and freeze/thaw season).

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- Are there any dirt trail condition threads...any place? I checked NEMBA and did not see any current trail listings for MA. The ground doesn't really appear to freeze around here so I am concerned around riding and damaging trail. However, my feeling is that things aren't as strict here because the soil is different than the midwest (we were super strict about keeping trails closed during rainy weather and freeze/thaw season).

Silly question, I think I know the answer, but wanted to see what other more knowledgable folks would say. I live in Malden and wanted to see if there was a way to seamlessly ride from here to the Minuteman path with minimal to no on-street riding. I normally ride the Northern Strand trail, so I know I can take that down and with some effort get over to the Wellington path, and I believe across to the Mystic River path, but didn't know if the Mystic River path in Medford connects directly to the Minuteman path. The Alewife Brook Greenway, according to what I read, seems to do that, but it seems that the Mystic pathway is somewhat segmented.

Anyhow, just wanted to see what others have experienced, since I haven't gone out and tried it yet myself.

You probably know the Medford/West Medford routes better than I do, but if you come into Arlington at West Medford (Harvard/River Street) it's all multi-user bikepath from there. You can pick up the Mystic River path (mid-block off the left right after the bridge, more of a jogging segment than bike segment) or take the left at Mystic River Parkway and bear right immediately on to Decatur. Either will lead you to the new Alewife Brook Greenway (a mix of boardwalk, stone dust and pavement) to Minuteman.

If you want to come in through Summerville, instead of going through Powder House Square to Davis you can also pick up Summerville Community Path (starting at Cedar St between Morrisson and Lexington Ave), that will take you to Davis where you can pick up the continuation of the Summerville Community Park/Alewife Linear Park (changes at the Cambridge Border). BTW, Summerville Community Path entrance is being extended to Lowell St, currently under construction (work started last year). In the long run, it will be probably be extended to Northpoint in Cambridge with the green line extension project. Surface on all these is asphalt.

There are a very short breaks and crossings that are a bit awkward (especially in Davis Square), but less awkward than some of the breaks in the Northern Strand.

It's worth mentioning, because Google Maps doesn't seem to recognize this - the best way into the Wellington parking lot from the Malden side, is to go through the gates on the right side, and go under the skywalk thing. Same way a car would get into the parking lot, I guess. Google makes it look like they're suggesting going around the bus loops.

It's worth mentioning, because Google Maps doesn't seem to recognize this - the best way into the Wellington parking lot from the Malden side, is to go through the gates on the right side, and go under the skywalk thing. Same way a car would get into the parking lot, I guess. Google makes it look like they're suggesting going around the bus loops.

10 miles on the Minuteman tonight, at the end of a busy and occasionally daunting week. Temperatures in the mid-30s, a comfortable sort of cold. The fat moon wore a veil of clouds. The night settled my brains.

The plan was to wait for the rain to stop and the snow to start, then go for a ride: Dashing Through the Snow. However, a chain of unlikely domestic contingencies delayed me until after the snow stopped falling, and at 4 pm I went Mushing Through the Slush. Took the old GT with the 47mm studded Nokian W240s (inflated to 40 psi) and was glad of that choice. The main streets had been plowed in a cursory manner, but were narrowed, and taking the lane was mandatory. The Arlington section of the Minuteman had already been plowed by the time I reached it, but in many places a thin slush layer remained; that'll make for a pretty good bobsled run when the freeze hits tonight. The same domestic contingencies also gave me a hard stop at 5, so I turned around at Bow Street, Lexington, noting as I did that the Lexington section of the Minuteman hadn't been plowed yet. Had about 20 milliseconds of excitement turning into Raleigh Street, Arlington, a minor cross street full of unplowed slush; was able to regain steering, and returned home in time to run a few errands. Seven slushy miles.

Ten miles on the Minuteman this afternoon, Lexington Center and back on the icebike, temperatures on either side of the freezing point at various times. Conditions varied from bare pavement in sunny stretches near Arlington Center to ice fields in the shadows to long icy stretches in Arlington Heights to ice with a dusting of snow in Lexington; a good day for studded tires. Twice encountered large groups of sparrows in conclave, their high clear chirping vivid in the cold air.